Alibaba is the number 1 supplier to people running Ebay Stores. There will be a bit of a shakeup if they source directly with consumers. They are
really one of the biggest headaches already for small businesses in the US that make small parts and electronic components.

They already do sell directly to the consumer. This is why 80% of certain items are shipped from China and it takes a month to get the
products.

They will sell to consumers, but it is certainly not their mainstay, nor is it really that economical when you have to wait that long. US Ebay
Merchants buy from Alibaba in huge quantities to get enough price break to be able to compete with those that buy directly from China plus the fast
ship of 3-4 days.

I am an ebay seller, and I know exactly what you are talking about. In fact I just ordered silicone wind shield wipers from a seller in china last
night. I can't find US made wipers, and Napa-Auto zone all want BIG $ for wipers. So if they are all made there and I have no choice, I will buy
direct.

I don't know what their main stay would be and I wonder how you would know.

I don't see how a huge Chinese company coming in creating distribution centers in America to cut out the middle man will help small business. Small
American business are the middle man. Making Chinese goods even cheaper than they already are will also make it even harder for American goods
producers to be competitive in America. As for small business being able to sell their goods to China that sounds like a pipe dream beyond wine and
food and that's already happening without Alibaba.

I really don't see a market for small business in to sell to China through Alibaba. I'm willing to bet this will mostly be a one way deal like every
other deal with China with lots of American business going under and jobs lost to create those 1 million jobs. I can see it creating a net job loss
for America and lots of small American owned business having their market share taken by this Chinese mega corp.

That was kind of the point I was trying to make earlier on, but you did a better job!.

Cut-throat marketing is the way of the times. Just seeing what happened to Macy's, Sears, etc. recently. It is headed for a totally on-line consumer
and this is the tip of the Iceberg. I hope that Trump understands that tarrif's, taxes and shipping have to be managed for this kind of trade so that
small businesses can still compete. The ePacket deals that the US has with international shippers almost let's them ship near free presently. This ,
while great for hobbyists and small parts consumers in the US, is as big a deal as the cheap merchandise prices they offer. Rules and regulations need
to be applied.

They are plenty smart but it is questionable if they care about Americans or America. I was a Trump supporter and probably still am but I can't ignore
appointments like the #2 at Goldman Sachs to his economic team or the trade sec who disparaged American workers. Plans like this that appear to do the
exact opposite of what needs to be done only add to my concerns.

The only way I see American producers getting strong again is through a period of protectionism. It's how China and Japan built their own production
capabilities up. If you flood the market with cheap goods from already established producers it is impossible for domestic producers to compete. This
plan has a bonus negative effect of putting American small business who now act as middle men out of business. It's hard to see any real positives in
this.

sounds like a pipe dream beyond wine and food and that's already happening without Alibaba.

That's a good question. What exactly is it that the Chinese middle class wants to buy that they are not buying already? Is it Ma's dream to have
smaller companies sell this stuff already sold? If Ma is looking to expand into Southeast Asia, what American goods would be sold to them through Ma's
portal? What is in the Midwest that he thinks we could sell through him?

More than 40 percent of China’s existing arable land has been degraded by pollution, acidification, and reduced fertility, China’s official
news agency, Xinhua, reported in 2014.

I hope Ma just didn't play on Trump's vanity to make it seem like he was giving a tremendous amount of jobs but in return wants the US to layoff
issues of counterfeiting and piracy. In China Trump is seen as an easy mark for a businessman: gullible, easily flattered, and too ostentatious with
wealth. China's leaders have appraised Trump as weak and inexperienced for the job of leading a country. Hopefully, Robert Lighthizer, the pick for
trade rep, will do what needs to be done with trade details; unlike other picks, he is viewed favorably by many.

To me it sounds like a continuation of what we have seen in the past. Short term gains due to creation and destruction of jobs that in the long term
leads to a net loss for America. In fact it sounds worse than what we have seen in the past because they will own the distribution end as well as the
production end.

It is only a matter of time until God Emperor Donald J. Trump is inaugurated. America and the West will be made great again, benefiting everyone
within our(Western) borders. I await to see this come to be true.

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